Box-assembling machine.



H. CARLE.

BOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY16.1916.

1,251,963. Patented Jan. 1,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I- WITNESSES INVENTOR H. CABLE.

BOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I6, 1916.

Patented Jan. 1,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES A TTOHNEYS H. CARLE.

BOX ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. ms.

Patented Jan. 1,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' IN If N TOR 6 A TTORNEYS WI TN E8858 ed Jan. 1,1918.

8 EBTBBHEET 4'.

Pate

MACHINE.

MAY16. 191s.

. CABLE.

BO BLING APPL FILED INVENTOR i)! r g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD CABLE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO F. N. BURT COMPANY, LIMITED, 01 TORONTO, CANADA, A CORPORATION 01' CANADA.

BOX-ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD CABLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Assembling Machines, of which the following is a full,- clear, and exact description, such as Wlll enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for assembling boxes and covers for boxes in closed relation, and with respect to its more specific features, to apparatus of the character referred to designed to operate upon separate boxes and covers made of paper, pasteboard or similar flexible material.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a practical and inexpensive device wherewith to assemble separate boxes and covers in closed relation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a practical device to turn boxes from one plane into a plane at an angle "thereto.

Other objects will bein art obvious and in part pointed out hereina er.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein similar reference characters refer to similar throughout the several views,

Figure l is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the invention, parts being omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a rear view looking in the direction of the arrow a of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view of a portion of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of Fig. 4, and showing the position of a certain detent device employed in the present embodiment of the invention.

By the present invention is provided an apparatus y means of which boxes and covers therefor are fed from respective supplies.

and automatically assembled, the boxes with the covers, respectively, in closed relation.

parts The numeral 1 indicates a table supported on legs 2, and 3 indicates a main driving shaft provided with a main driving belt pulley 4 adapted to be coupled to drive the shaft 3 by means of a manually operable clutch member 5 of any suitable construction. The shaft 3 is su ported in a bearing 6 in a hanger 7 depending from the bottom of the table 1, and is provided with a main driving gear 8 meshing with a larger gear 9 on a short shaft 10, journaled in the hanger 7. The shaft 10 at one side-is provided with a bevel gear 11 in mesh with bevel gears'or the respective shafts 12 and 13 journaled in brackets 14 and 15 dependin from the table. Over the upper horizontal ace of the table 1 extend the inner ends of a pair of box ele- .ment conveying belts, or supports, 16 and 17 which lie in horizontal planes side by side, the upper ply of one of the belts, as 17, being disposed in a horizontal plane below that of the belt 16. In the resent embodiment, the upper plies of the elts so disposed in different horizontal planes are supported by bottoms 18 and 19 of troughs, of which the angle bars 20 and 21 form sides to guide the box elements as they are moved by the belts. Each endless belt is supported by 'a pair of pulleys, and the inwardly disposed pulleys 22 and 23, of each belt are so disposed on {the table that the belts overlap each other -longitudinallyin a horizontal direction so that a box element on one belt will be brought into adjacent relation with a box element on the other belt. The pulleys 22 and 23 are supported in pairs of brackets 24 and 25 on the upper surface of the table 1. The other or outer pulleys for the supporting belts ma be supported upon an extension of the ta 1e 1, or at any other suitable point. One of these latter pulleys is shown at 26. The endless belts are driven 'so that their upper plies move in opposite directions toward the ulleys 22 and 23 respectively, as indicated by the arrows, and each belt passes beneath cross-pieces 27 and 28, which serve to stop the box elements on the respective belts so that they aline with each other transversely of the belts, the elements on the belt 17 being in a horizontal plane below the elements on the belt 16. The numerals 29 indicate ways, on which a box element from the belt 16 may be moved and slid toward the alined box element on the belt 17 these ways being inclined and their ends adjacent the belt 17 being sufliciently raised to permit the oncoming box element to escape the proximate edge of the box element on the belt 17 so as to readily enter the latter.

The numeral 30 indicates a picker finggr, which is movable in alinement with the x and cover to be assembled and carried by a plate 31 sliding in an undercut groove 32 in an upstanding plate 33, reci rocatory motion transversely of the belts ing communicated to the finger throu h the instrumentality of a rod 34 pivotal the slide 31, and to one end of a rock lever 35, fulcrumed on a bracket 36 on the frame 1, this rock lever being oscillated by a con necting rod 37 pivoted thereto and to a d sk 38 rotating with the shaft 10. The rotat on of the shaft 10 reciprocates the plate 31, and the finger 30 engages the rear side of a box element on the belt 16 and moves or pushes it over the inclined ways 29 into a box element on the belt 17 to be coupled therewith. In the present embodiment necked boxes on the belt 16 are to be assembled with covers on the belt 17, and the inclination of the ways 29 cause the plane of the edge of the moving box element receiving the same to incline, so that the advancing edge of the box will nicely enter within the sides of the cover on the belt 17, and eventually the front wall of the box will be brought: into engagement with the inside face of the front wall of the cover. The slot 32 being inclined, the

icker finger 30 remains in'contact with the box during the movement referred to, and when the front wall of the box engages the front wall of the cover further' continued movement of the picker causes the .cover to move with the box. As theibox moves from the belt 16 toward the cover, its-head surface is engaged by an inclined-j member 39 which has converging relationwith the suporting surface 0 the belt 17 and the space between the front end of the inclined member 39 and the surface of the-belt'is'substantially equal to the thickness of "the box and cover when assembled so that as the partially assembled elements pa'SsbetWeen the convergingmembers at the point referred to, the trailing or rear side of the box is pressed into the cover-thus completing the insertion of the box in the cover, so that the box and cover are telescopically-related.

As thus assembled, the heads of the box occupy predetermined planes, and it is oftentimes desirable to subset uently dispose the boxes so that their heads s all occupy planes at an angle to the planes occu ied in assembly position To this end, after the'boxes and covers have been assembled, they follow and push each ottiher along a horizontal passagewav or gui eway 41 comprisin oppositely disposed tracks 42 along Wh lCh the boxes move. At its farther end, th s pas.-

-box enters the passageway 43,

y connected to sageway and tracks are curved in a vertical plane and communicate with a second and vertical passagewa 43 disposed transversely of the tracks 42. The advancin side of-the eing thrust upwardly by the push of the-succeeding box, and the tracks 42 are terminated, or are broken away, as at 44, at such a point, that a spring 45 secured to a cross-piece 46 will press the advance box into alinement with the second passageway 43 and against an abutment 46 in the second passageway which abutment also serves as a guide for the boxes in the passageway 43. The numeral 47 represents a restraining means or stop, in the present embodiment a leaf sprlng, which 1s disposed adjacent the end of the track 42, and serves to limit the movement of the box in the passageway 41, and to initiate its downward movement in the passageway 43. In the passageway 43, the box drops by gravity onto a platform 48 in front of a pusher 49, and the operation of the pusher49 serves to remove this box from the path of succeeding boxes coming from the passageway 43. Reciprocatory movement is given to the pusher for removing the boxes as explained, by means of a slide 50 guided on the table 1, said slide having a depending post 51 joined to one end of a connecting rod 52, the other end of the con necting rod being pivotally connected at 53 to the rock lever 35.

While the box from the belt 16 is assuming its angular interengaging relation with the cover on the belt 17, it is desirableto restrain free movement of the cover toward the the more closely converging faces of the member 39 and the belt 17, 1n order that the front wall of the advancing box may come against the inner face of the front wall of the cover while the latter is atrest, and for this purpose a detent member or pawl'54 projects very slightly in front of the front wall of the cover on the belt 17. In the present embodiment, this pawl member is pivoted to the cross-piece 28 and has a "rounded face projectin as aforesaid, this rounded face being held in front of the cover by a light spring 55. The strength of the spring 55 is suflicient to cause the pawl to yieldlngly restrain movement of the cover toward the passageway 41, but suflicient pressure tending to move the cover toward the passageway 41 will cause the pawl 54 to turn on its ivot and permit passage of the cover, as Wlll be clear.

e movement of the box toward the cover is efl'ected by preferably a picker finger 30 which is mounted to yield under certain circumstances, hereinbefore referred to. The construction of picker and picker fin er comprised in the moving the boxes to the covers, is as follows:

The numeral 56 present embodiment or,

indicates a pin which is 13 threaded into the sliding plate 31. Journaled to rotate on the pin 56 is a hub 57 having a flat face 58 to which is screwed a depending plate 59 having a flat plate or picker finger 3O pivotally connected thereto, as at 61, this latter pivotal axis being somewhat above the lower terminationof the plate 59 to provide a shoulder or rear face '62 on the plate 5% against which face the the face 62, when permitted. Surrounding the ins 56 is a coil spring 66, at one end fixed to the hub 57, and at the other end connected to the pin 56 through the instrumentality of an adjustable member, as a nut 67, by the adjustment of which the stress of the spring 66 may be adjusted. The hub 57 is provided with a tooth 68 adapted, when the plate 59 is in such osition as to place the finger 30 opposite t e box, to engage a recess 69 in the plate 31 or, as illustrated, in a piece 70, stationarily positioned upon the pin 56. Should the box be obstructed and thereby prevented from moving under predetermined normal pressure of the finger 30, the tooth 68 will escape from the recess 69 and the finger 30 will rotate upon the pin 56 and thus be permitted to wipe over the boxes without injuring the same. The

spring 66 being stressed rotatively will return the finger 30 and reset the tooth 68 in the recess 69. When the picker 30 encounters a box on its return movement, thes ring 64 permits it to yield in a forward irection rotating around its axis 61, the fin er immediately reassuming operative positlon after escaping the box. The belts 16 and 17 are preferably continuously driven in opposite directions, each of the pulle' s 22 and 23 having driving pulleys 71 an nected by driving belts 73 and 74, to belt pulleys 75 and 76 on the shafts 12 and 13, respectively.

Thus by the above described construction are accomplished, among others, all of the objects hereinbefore referred to.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely difi'erent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.-

It is also tobe understood that the Ian- 72, conguage used in the following claims is intended to cover all of thegeneric and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the S00 eof the invention which, as a matter 0 language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to feed boxes and covers, res ectivel into position side by side in di erent p anes comprising a pair of endless belts, and means adapted to effect the insertion of successive boxes in successive covers, respectively, comprising a reciprocatory picker finger movable transversely of said belts and in alinement with the respective box and cover to be assembled.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to feed boxes and covers, respectively, into position side by side in difi'erent planes, and means adapted to effect the insertion of successive boxes in successive covers, respectively, comprising a reciprocatory picker finger movable in alinement with the respective box and cover to be assembled, the path of movement of said finger being inclined relative to said planes.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to feed boxes and covers, res ectively, into position side by side in di erent planes, and means adapted to effect the insertion of successive boxes in successive covers, res ctively, comprising a reciprocatory yiel ing picker finger movable in alinement with the respective box and the cover to be assembled, the path of movement of said finger being inclined relative to said planes.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to feedboxes and covers, respectivel into po- 110 sition side by side in different p anes comprising a pair of endless belts, an inclined way between said belts along which the boxes slide into the covers, respectively, from one plane toward the other, and an inclined 11- member opposite said way and cover adapted to guide the box into the cover.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to feed boxes and covers, respectively, into 120 position side by side in different lanes, comprising overlapping continuous y movable supporting belts, stops to aline the respective boxes and covers transversely of the belts, and a reciprocatory picker movable trans- 125 versely of the belts and adapted to slide a box from one belt into a cover on the other.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to feed boxes and covers, respectively, into po- 180 comprism sition side by side in diflerent planes, comprising overlapping continuously movable supporting belts, stops to aline the respective boxes and covers transversely of the belts, a reciprocatory picker movable transversely of the belts and adapted to slide a box from one belt into a cover on the other, and inclined members between which the box slides when moved to the cover.

7. In an apparatus of the character de belts, a reciprocatory picker movable trans-' versely of the belts and adapted to slide a box from one belt into a cover on the other, inclined members between which the boxes slide on movement to the covers, and conver 'ng members between which the partial y assembled box elements are moved to complete the insertion of the box in the cover.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of endless belts adapted to move and to support a box and a cover in adjacent relation, a picker finger adapted to move one of said box elements from one belt to the other across the edge of the other box element into telescopic assembly relation with the other box element, and a yielding detent adapted to restrain movement of said other box element in the direction of said movement.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of endless belts adapted to carry boxes and covers, successively, into positions occupying different planes and in alinement with each other in a direction across the surfaces of the belts, means adapted to move a box into a cover in alinement therewith, and means movable into and out of the path of said cover adapted to restrain movement of the cover under the influence of said box.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to assemble a box and a cover in closed relation so that their heads occupy predetermined planes, means adapted to move the assembled box elements from assembl position and turn the same so that said eads occup planes at angles to said predetermine planes, said last-mentioned means a guideway having a track along which the assembledelements move, means adjacent the end of said track to limit the movement in said guideway, a second guideway disposed transversely of said track, and an abutment in said second guideway 8 aced from the end of said track.

11. 11 an ap aratus of the character described, in com ination, means adapted to assemble a box and a cover in closed relation so that their heads occupy predetermined planes, means adapted to move the assembled box elements from assembly position and turn the same so. that said heads occup planes at angles to said redetermine lanes, said last-mentione means comprisin a guideway having a track along which the assembled elements move, means adjacent the end of said track to limit the movement in said guideway, a second guideway disposed transversely of said track, an abutment in said second guideway spaced from a the end of said track, and means operative beyond the end of said track adapted to press the box elements toward said abutment.

12. In an ap aratus of the character described, in com bination, means adapted to assemble a box and a cover in closed relation so that their heads occupy predetermined planes, means adapted to move the assembled boxelements from assembly position and turn the same so that said heads occupy planes at angles to said predetermined planes, said last-mentioned means comprising a guideway having a track along which the assembled elements move, means adjacent the end of said track to limit the movement. in said guideway, a second guideway disposed transversely of said track, an abutment in said second guideway spaced from the end of said track, and a spring operative beyond the end of said track adapted topress the box elements toward said abutment.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to assemble a box and a cover in closed relation so that their heads occupy predetermined planes, means adapted to move the assembled box elements from assembl position and turn the same so that said eads occupy planes at angles to said predetermined guideway communicatin with said curved guideway at an angle t ereto, and means pressin transversely of each guideway adap to deflect a box from one guideway into the other.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to assemble a box and a cover in closed relation so that their heads occupy predetermined planes, means adapted to move the assembled =box elements from assembly position and turn the same so that said heads occup planes at angles to said predetermine planes, said ast-mentioned means com rising a curved guideway, a second gui eway communicating with said curved guideway at an an lethereto, means pressmg transversely 0 each guideway adapted to deflect a box from one guideway into the planes, said last-mentioned meanscomprislng a curved guideway, a second other, and means in the path of the box elements in one ideway adapted, to restrain movement of ti: box elements in that ideway and initiate movement thereof 1n the other ideway.

15. Id an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a passageway for boxes having a horizontal and a vertically curved portion, a second passageway vertically disposed and communicating with the curved portion of said first-mentioned passageway, a track in the curved portion of said first-mentioned passageway, said track terminating adjacent the vertically disposed passageway, an abutment in said vertically disposed assageway, and a sprin adapted to press t e boxes from said curve passageway toward the abutnient in said vertical passe way.

16. 11 an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a passageway for boxes having a horizontal and a vertlcally curved portion, a second pass way vertically disposed and communicatm with the curved portion of said first-ment1oned pas sageway, a track in the curved portion of said first-mentioned passageway, said track terminating adjacent the vertically disposed passageway, an abutment in said vertically dis osed assageway spaced from the end of em trac a s ring adapted to press the boxes from sai curved passageway toward the abutment in said vertical passageway, a platform at the bottom of said vertically dlsposed' passageway, and a reciprocatory plunger adapted to deliver boxes, respectively, from said vertical passageway out of the path of succeeding boxes.

17. In an ap aratus of the character described, in com ination, a pair of movable endless supports adapted to convey boxes and covers mto positions adjacent each other, and a reciprocatory picker adapted to move box elements from one support onto box ele/ ments on the other support for assembly of such elements.

18. In an ap aratus of the character described, in com ination, a' pair of movable endless supports adapted to convey boxes and covers into positions adjacent each other,

a reciprocatory picker adapted to move box elements from one support onto box elements on the other support for assembly of such elements, and a press into 006 erative relation with which the so assem led elements are moved by said picker.

19. In an ap aratus of the character described, in com ination, a pair of movable endless supports adapted to convey boxes and covers into positions adjacent each other, stops adapted to arrest the movement of said box elements with said supports, and means adapted to move a box element from said respective arrested position on one support onto a box element in said arrested position on the other support for assembly of said elements.

20. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of movable endless supports adapted to convey boxes and covers into positions adjacent each other, stops adapted to arrest the movement of said box elements with said supports, and means adapted to move a box element from said respective arrested position on one support onto a box element in said arrested position on the other support for assembly of said elements comprising a reciprocatory picker.

21. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of movable endless supports adapted to convey boxes and covers into positions adjacent each other, and means adapted to move one of said box elements in a direction across the surface of the support on which it is supported and assemble the same with a box element from the other support.

22. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of movable endless supports adapted to convey boxes and covers into positions adjacent each other, and means adapted to move one of sald box elements in a direction across the surface of the support on which it is sup orted and assemble the same with a box e ement from the other support, and stops adapted to arrest the movement of said box elements with said respective supports.

23. In an ap aratus of the character described, in combination, a pair of movable endless supports adapted to convey boxes and covers into positions adjacent each other, stops adapted to arrest the movement of said box element with said supports, means adapted to move a box element from said respective arrested position on one support onto a box element in said respective arrested position on the other support for assembly of said elements, and a yielding detent adapted to restrain movement of said last mentioned box element.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

L. C. ROLMER, H, Bon'r'rsnn. 

